Melukote

Melukote in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district, Karnataka is one of the sacred places in Karnataka. The place is also known as Thirunarayanapuram. It is built on rocky hills known as Yadavagiri or Yadugiri overlooking the Cauvery valley.

The principal temple is a square building of large dimensions but very plain, dedicated to Lord Cheluva-Narayana Swamy or Tirunarayana. The temple is richly endowed having been under the special patronage of the Mysore Rajas, and has a most valuable collection of jewels. As early as 1614, the Mysore king Raja Wodeyar (1578–1617) who first acquired Srirangapatna and adopted the Srivaishnava faith, handed over to the temple and the Brahmins at Melkote, the estate granted to him by Vijaynagar king Venkatapati Raya.

On the top of the hill is an impressive temple of Yoga Narasimha. Krishnaraja Wodeyar III presented a gold crown to this temple. Melkote is also the location of the Melkote Temple Wildlife Sanctuary. This Sanctuary was created on the 17th June 1974 primarily to house wolves. Other mammals found in this sanctuary include the Jungle Cat, Leopard, Bonnet Macaque, Langur and Pangolin. It is also an ornithologist’s paradise, with numerous species of birds indigenous to the area. Also a walk early in the morning in the surrounding areas will guarantee peacock sightings.